This Was Once Fields is Gently Tender’s first new music since 2023, sonically inspired by the landscapes of the rolling hills and rugged moors of the British countryside. It arrives today, on May 22nd, 2026. They’ve recently released the single “Wild In The Uplands” alongside a video.

Frontman Sam Fryer says of walking in the green belt of North London:

The view of London from afar at nighttime was what really ignited a spark in me. I would reflect on my life and myself as I exist inside the city I’ve lived in for my entire life, that I’ve loved and fallen out of love with over again. The city does weigh on me heavily, but it’s not easy to leave a place you’ve loved forever. 

The songs that make up this project represent different chapters, memories, thoughts, and reflections on the life I have lived in the city. I’ve always managed to live here but never felt like I actually belong in such a loud and fast-paced, nerve-jangling environment. These walks have provided me with a universe of material that I can dive back into when I need to escape, and that’s where this music was born. 

A collective effort, Gently Tender welcomed musicians Francesca Brierley (multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who also makes music as heka) and Evie Hilyer-Ziegler (Broadside Hacks) to join former Palma Violets Sam Fryer, Pete Mayhew, and Will Doyle, plus guitarist Adam Brown.